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Quick Facts & Stats

Quick Facts & Stats about Transportation

A gallon of gasoline is assumed to produce 8.8 kilograms (or 19.4 pounds) of carbon dioxide (CO2). This number is calculated from values in the Code of Federal Regulations at 40 CFR 600.113-78, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses to calculate the fuel economy of vehicles, and relies on assumptions consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines

To estimate your carbon footprint generated from driving, simply multiply the total number of gallons of gasoline used by 19.4 pounds of CO2 per gallon of gasoline or use our simple carbon footprint calculator

The total make-up of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) generated by motor vehicles is about 95% CO2, and about 5% a combination of methane, nitrous oxide and HCFC (from A/C system leaks)

In the U.S., the average CO2 produced per vehicle:&nbsp&nbsp Cars: 9,700 lbs per year &nbsp&nbsp Light Trucks/SUVs: 16,150 lbs per year

In 2001, the United States consumed 113.1 billion gasoline-equivalent gallons (GEG) to fuel passenger travel by light-duty vehicles, a rise of 3.3 percent per year from 1994, when 90.6 billion was consumed

In 2001, consumers paid nearly equal amounts for energy used for household services (ranging from cooking and water heating to refrigeration and lighting) and for personal transport. The average household spent $1,520 on fuel purchases for transport and spent $1,493 for household services, just $27 more per year, as measured in nominal dollars

For comparison, in 2001, gasoline prices averaged $1.43 per gallon; in 2006, gasoline prices are expected to average $2.43 per gallon (a 71-percent increase in nominal terms and 52-percent increase when adjusted by inflation)

In 2001 there were 107.4 million households in the United States, of which nearly 98.9 million (92 percent) actually owned or possessed one or more vehicles, an increase of 1.8 percent per year from 1983, when 86 percent, or 72.2 million out of 84.4 million households, had possessed one or more vehicles

As of 2001, a recession year, the distribution of sales and scrappage rates had resulted in a household vehicle fleet of 191.0 million vehicles: 112.4 million (58 percent) passenger cars, 18.4 million (10 percent) vans, 23.2 million (12 percent) SUVs, 35.6 million (19 percent) pickups, and 1.4 million (1 percent) recreational vehicles